Jack and Juliet Meet for Coffee
by karivalentina
Summary: How did Jack and Juliet meet in the sideways timeline? One shot . Reviews appreciated.


Jack and Juliet Meet for Coffee

Juliet sat at a small bistro table of the coffee house that she had been visiting for quite sometime. There was something about coffee, and meeting the right person. She had dreamed of this so many times that over the years, it had become a conviction she never questioned.

Everyday, she scanned the people that came in and out of the coffee house, hoping that _he_ would be there. She did not even understand this herself; it was just something that she did. Period.

Then, one day, he came in and asked if he could sit with her. The place was packed that morning, with barely any standing room left.

He was holding a cup of coffee in one hand, a newspaper in the other, and sporting a shy smile to boot.

Juliet nodded. She studied him. He had dark hair, dark eyes and a clean shaven face.

He opened up the newspaper as soon as he sat down, he positioned it sideways. Juliet read the headlines out loud: "Red Sox Wins the World Series."

"Hey, who would have seen that coming?" Juliet commented.

"My dad said they would never win" he said, smiling triumphantly. "He was wrong."

She thought the last statement was a little over the top, but it seemed like it was incredibly gratifying for him say those words.

A strange notion crossed her mind. She thought he might want a sandwich, or maybe a cheeseburger to go with his coffee.

"I've seen you before" he said, a smile of recognition on his face. "You like to spend most of your evenings at the library."

They were across the street from the school of medicine building. Juliet was a college sophomore, ranked number1 in her class. She was not exactly popular with her classmates, except when they needed some extra help.

"I like to read medical journals" Juliet said, a bit wary. Most guys were a bit put off by her unrelenting passion for medicine. Oddly, this time she did not care. Honestly, she was not trying to impress anybody.

His eyes lit up. "I'm Jack, by the way" he offered her his hand. "And I'm in my first year of medical school," he informed her, quite pleased with himself; his number one goal in life was to remain at the top 5% of his class at any cost.

_Ah, something in common! _"Juliet," she said with a half-smile, shaking his hand. "Actually….I'm a repo woman" she added, smiling flirtatiously.

"I admire your dedication," he said, smiling a little too much, and in an awkward sort of way. "It must be tough….almost like trying to collect money from the dead."

He was not exactly great at flirting, Juliet noted.

They agreed to meet again the following week for coffee. Still, he did not ask for her number; quite content with just meeting her for coffee week after week.

_Boy, he's really not very good at this_ Juliet thought.

"I….I can't see you next week" He tugged at his shirt collar, as though he was suddenly too warm, in order to mask any traces of uneasiness.

"Oh?" Juliet questioned, in a sort of aloof manner.

"It's just that I'm going to be out of town this weekend for Easter break," he said, relaxing a little, when he saw her nodding her head. "It's my best friends' wedding…he's getting married in Italy, and I'm supposed to be the best man…"

"Oh, how nice!" Juliet smiled warmly. "Italy is such a romantic place."

"I hate flying" Jack blurted out. He decided to leave out the part where he hyperventilates unless he's had at least ten of those little airline sized liquor bottles.

She felt a tad sorry for him. He seemed in need of some comfort and reassurance. However, her next statements were far from reassuring.

"What's the worst that could happen, the plane breaking into three separate sections in midair?" She smiled, taking a sip of her coffee. "I mean, really…..what's the likelihood of that happening?"

He laughed at the absurdity of such scenario. "I guess…none" he smiled timidly, sipping his coffee.

_He's quite attractive, though _…._and looks quite harmless,_ she decided. She'd gone through her share of heartbreak already, and needed someone she could trust.

She seemed like someone he could trust. _I want you to trust me now…._ His last three girlfriends had dumped him for no rhyme or reason. He did not need anymore of that kind of drama.

In spite of her misgivings, she decided to give him a chance. Yes, she would meet him again for dinner and a movie. Eventually, she would convince herself that he must _the one;_ the man that she was supposed to meet for coffee.


End file.
